A Broken Wing
by Vivadove
Summary: Jacob meets someone in the forest after he runs away. Can this person help him get over his infatuation with Bella, without breaking his heart herself?
1. Unexpected Meetings

**Second fanfic! This one deals with the wolves, right after Jake runs away after Eclipse, and it's definitely going to be shorter than Make a Memory... Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about that one.**

**As usual, everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer!**

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"Oh! This is perfect! Just the thing I need to finish my portfolio," an excited voice carried to Jacob's perked wolf-ears. Curious, he quietly plodded over to where the voice was coming from. The leaves crunched beneath his huge paws, and his fur was matted with mud, more leaves, and grass. He could have easily scared the living day lights out of anyone.

Maybe even someone that would not be living for much longer.

Jacob shuddered as a fallen tree limb snapped beneath him, preventing his thoughts from drifting back to _her_. It had only been a couple of days since he had run off, and everyone seemed to be keeping their distance. This both infuriated him and comforted him. He needed someone to talk to, someone that would not judge him. Embry and Quil were his best bets, or even Emily, but they were too busy trying to give him space. On the other hand, he was happy no one was bugging him to come home. _She_ had probably stopped by his house to see if he was okay. His heart sunk as he thought of _her_.

"Shoot! Now I need to start over! Argh!" The voice shouted, followed by an exasperated sigh and paper being ripped to shreds. Thankful for the distraction, Jacob continued on his way. The sharp scent of graphite met him near a path, and he stopped when he caught sight of the source of the voice.

Her dark brown hair hung slightly past her shoulders, and it seemed tinted with red due to the light from the sunset streaming through the trees. She looked slender and somewhat athletic, while the creamy white color betrayed the fact that she mostly stayed indoors and out of the sun. Although she was crouched down, Jacob could tell she was tall, although not as tall as he was; she was probably between 5'6" and 5'9". He took another step towards her to get a better look at her and what she was doing, but winced as another limb shattered beneath his paw.

Her head shot up, and he stared into her deep brown eyes. _Anyone could have easily mistaken her for _her_ sister_, he thought to himself in awe. The stared at each other for a moment, trying to grasp what the other was. He was about to turn and bolt when she smiled and tilted her head, slightly confused. Then sheer joy dawned over her features as she reached for her pad of paper and expertly chose one of the dozens of pencils, still gazing at Jacob.

"This is amazing…" She whispered absentmindedly, shifting her position. "Such a gorgeous coat, I might just leave it black and white, I'll never get the perfect color."

Jacob was glancing wildly around, looking for a way to escape. He couldn't be around this girl anymore; it was almost painful.

"Oh, no!" She pleaded, although still whispering, "Please, don't be scared! I should be more afraid of you than you are of me," she laughed humorlessly, running her hand through her hair to hold it back before setting the pencil to paper.

Within seconds, the rough image of a wolf had appeared on the paper. "I just… Can't seem to get your eyes right…" She took a step forward, and Jacob took a step back. She opened her mouth to say something else, but he turned and ran as fast as he could.

Jake could hear her following him, fighting her way through the brambles and thick trees. He had grown up in this forest, and knew it like the back of his hand. Gradually her footprints grew fainter. "No! Now I have to go back to drawing the stupid paw print!" He heard her curse loudly, and her heavy retreating footfalls echoed through the forest, sending a flock of birds high into the sky. He never stopped running.

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**A Few Weeks Later**

Jacob trudged back to La Push, after being ordered by Sam to come home. He had used the longtime guilt-trip excuse that everyone missed him and were afraid he might be hurt. _No, duh, I'm hurt,_ Jacob had thought back to him, _she's probably a leech by now._ Sam had just left him without another word, knowing that Jake had to obey a direct order.

He could see the bright flames licking the sky from the bonfire where they used to listen to stories and hang out when there was nothing to do. He heard a roar of laughter... probably about some gross thing Jared or Seth had done. With a heavy sigh, he phased back and put his tattered pants on; somehow, they had survived his long stay outdoors. Jake tried to brush away all of the dirt and debris that had accumulated on his body and gotten trapped in his hair, but it was no use.

The laughter ended abruptly when he entered the circle of light from the fire. His eyes swept around, taking in the stares ranging from fury to delight, until his gaze finally stopped on the person curled up next to Embry. He had his arm securing wrapped around her, holding her close to him, and her long brown hair cascaded over his shoulder.


	2. Revelation

**Yay! Second chapter. I'll try to finish the third one today, seeing as school was cancelled.**

**Yep, everything still belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

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The girl smiled up at Jake, extending her hand for him to shake it. "Hi! My name is Ellen. You must be the mysterious disappearing Jacob, I presume?" When he just stared, open-mouthed at the offer, she pulled back her hand and ran it through her hair. "Nice to meet you, too," she muttered sarcastically.

Embry looked up at Jacob. "You okay, Jake?" He asked, pulling Ellen closer. Her grin made it apparent that she did not mind the proximity of their bodies at all.

"Why are you here?" Jacob asked bluntly, ignoring everyone else.

Leah growled from her place on the other side of Ellen. "She's my pen pal. Her parents decided to travel Europe for the year. We have been meaning to meet each other for a while so she is staying with my family for the year, maybe longer. She graduated high school two years ago, and she blatantly refuses to go to college. Ellen likes to draw, and sells her paintings to pay for whatever she needs. Got a problem with that?"

She was standing and trembling slightly. Sam narrowed his eyes at her, "Leah, sit." She sat immediately, and Ellen reached out to pat her hand. The trembling soon subsided, but Embry continued to eye Leah cautiously.

Jacob nodded, not taking his eyes off the new girl. "So, does she know-"

"Jake!" Sam cut him off sharply, rising. "C'mon. We need to talk." Without waiting for Jacob's response, he strode out of the circle of light, back to the forest. Jacob rolled his eyes and followed.

"Hey, Paul? Can you pass the marshmallows?" He heard Ellen ask behind him.

Sam stopped just inside the trees. "She doesn't know." He said, looking back towards the welcoming fire. "Embry didn't imprint. They're just dating."

"Then why is she _here_?" Jacob responded, angrily.

"Because not everyone imprints, and Embry is going to take a chance and actually get a love life. There is no problem with that. You tried to, when Bell-"

"Don't talk about her!" Jake snarled, trying to keep his voice low, yet failing miserably. "It's bad enough that this _Ellen_ character looks so much like her, and I don't need you rubbing it in-"

"I'm _not_ rubbing it in. You're the one that ran away for weeks, and now you're throwing everything out of proportion!" Sam shouted, his body convulsing involuntarily. Jacob found himself in the same predicament, as they both tried to control their anger.

However, within seconds, they both found themselves as huge, furry wolves. Snarling, they lunged for each other.

"_You need to stop thinking about Bella, Jake!"_ Sam shouted in his mind. _"You're going to drive yourself - and everyone around you - crazy."_

The thought was met with renewed fury from Jacob, who attempted to take a bite out of Sam's shoulder.

"_Hey! In case you haven't forgotten, Ellen is in hearing distance, and if Embry holds her any closer she's going to suffocate!"_ Leah's frantic voice joined theirs as she ran into them. Although significantly smaller, she wedged herself between them, growling and snapping her jaws menacingly. _"She's started to get worried. I had to cook up one hell of a lie to come interfere. Now kiss and make up, you can finish this on a day when there isn't a vulnerable human around."_

Jacob bared his teeth at Leah, and was about to attack her when Sam phased back. Leah shut her eyes against his nakedness, and Jacob saw images rush through her mind of that he did not necessarily need to see. _"Leah!"_

"_Sorry…" _she whimpered, running back in the direction of the fire. Her presence soon left him as she, too, phased back.

"Jacob," Sam started, putting on his pants, "I'm sorry about Bella. But there is nothing else we can do. We are not going to crash their wedding. We are not going to interfere with her life anymore. They moved to Alaska a week ago, and we are not going to follow them. You need to get over it." Without another word, he turned and went the same direction Leah had gone.

Jacob lay down on the cool ground, putting his head between his paws and wallowing in his self-pity. It hurt that Ellen had to resemble Bella so much. What was worse was that Embry had gotten her first. His ears perked as laughter erupted from the group, followed by a girly squeal. "Eww! Seth! I'll be washing the marshmallow out of my hair for weeks!"

He got up with a sigh and reluctantly phased back. After shoving his pants on, he unwillingly went back to the fire. It was going to take some time and a lot of hurting, but he had to move on with his life. For Bella's sake.

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**In case you're wondering, I titled this chapter Revelation because Jacob is now realizing that Bella is gone and he needs to get over it. So sad.**


	3. Secrets Unveiled

**Okay, here's chapter three. Um... I'm probably not going to be updating for the next week or so; we found out my dog has cancer, and they found it really late. So I'm going to try and spend as much time as I can with him while I still can. Unless you just feel you can't live without the next chapter, in which case I'll write it if I must. x.x**

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"Hey, Jake!" Ellen sang, attempting to skip over to him and instead falling over a seashell with an 'Oof'. It was Labor Day Weekend, and everyone was enjoying the evening with fireworks and friends on First Beach. Everyone except Jacob, that is, who had been dragged to the celebration by the rest of the pack. Ellen and Embry had grown closer, and as a result, Jake grew more and more miserable. He looked up as she fell to the sand, and he quickly turned around to go away.

"Don't you run away from me, Jacob Black!" She called to him from the ground. He stopped, a look of sheer annoyance crossing over his face. Ellen got up from the ground, casually brushing the sand off her shirt.

"What do you want?" Jacob asked, turning. Just being around her made him wish for Bella. Or even for this girl that looked and acted similarly to Bella.

"I just wanted to talk to you, is that so bad?" She retorted. "I can tell you've been upset for the past couple of months, and I feel bad because that's about how long I've been here."

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it. Shouldn't you be with _Embry_?" Jake spat back, turning to go. Ellen put her hand on his shoulder.

"He's helping with the fireworks. And I am not bound to him, you know. I am allowed to talk to other people. Come on, let's walk for a little bit."

She set off the opposite direction of everyone else. Jacob, without much of a choice, sighed and followed her. "I told you, I don't want to talk."

Ellen just rolled her eyes. "Then I will. You do not even know me and yet you seem to hate me. So at least if I tell you about myself, maybe you'll find a reason to stay away from me." The sun had just about set, and there was a gentle breeze drifting off the water.

"I did not always want to be an artist. I actually studied to be a therapist at one point. I am actually still considering going back to school to become one. But then I look out at the sunset, or at something that intrigues me, and I know that I would never be able to express myself the same way if I did." She took a breath, gazing straight ahead but not actually seeing. "I love it here. There are so many beautiful views, and the forest is just teeming with life." Excited, she looked up at Jacob. "And there are _wolves_. Well, granted, I only saw one, but it was just gorgeous! I know there have to be more around somewhere. I just love wolves, though, and seeing that one made me realize that I am where I need to be. Its very presence made me think that everything was going to work out. I just wish I could see it again…"

Jacob flinched inwardly at the mention of the wolf. He knew she was talking about him, even if she did not, and quickly changed the subject. "Therapist, you say?"

Ellen nodded. "My parents are upset that I did not go through with it. I know they will get over it eventually. They said I had a knack for helping people with their problems." She shrugged off the thought. "The offer still stands, if you want help."

They stopped, and Jacob looked down at her. The last rays of the sunset reflected off the water, illuminating her face. He sighed, "I do not hate you. You just remind me of someone, and it is really painful to think of them,"

She nodded again. "Bella, right?" Jacob shuddered at the mention of her name, but nodded. "I hear them talk about her a lot, so I just guessed. You loved her, I'm guessing?" He nodded again. "And she left you for someone else." Jacob closed his eyes. It was not a question. "I'm sorry." She gave him a quick, apologetic hug and turned back to the group. The sun had completely set, and she could see the guys getting ready to light the fireworks. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jacob shook his head, sighing again. "No. Not yet, at least. There are many things I want to keep to myself for the time being, and I am not sure if I want to totally forget about her."

"You do not have to forget, Jake. Memories are precious, and you should remember the fun times you have had together. Moping around is not going to help anyone, though, especially not yourself." Ellen smiled up at him, but then jumped as the first explosion echoed through the night. "Aww, man, they started without us! Come on, I'll race you back!" She laughed, and raced off to the party, Jacob not far behind, laughing for the first time in a while.

They reached the group shortly, Jacob winning by a long shot. He was still smiling as a few more fireworks whizzed into the air. Ellen jumped into Embry's open arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his lips.

"Looks great!" she shouted over the explosions. She moved her head closer to his ear, and added quietly, "I got him to laugh."

Embry put her down in front of him, and wound his arms around her waist. "You truly are a miracle worker." She beamed in response, and turned around the watch the rest of the fireworks.

Jacob stood in the back, his arms crossed as he stared into the sky.

"So!" Leah said from behind him. "No one else can be happy unless you are, is that it?"

Jacob narrowed his eyes, "Why would you say that?"

"You don't even know Ellen. You only like her because she reminds you of Bella." He winced at her response. "And NOW you are trying to take her from Embry, because you can't stand it that he's happy and you aren't. Just try telling me I'm wrong."

"I don't have to tell you anything!" He growled, but managed to keep his anger at bay.

"Jake! How can one person be _that _self absorbed? Just look at her. The happiness between the two of them is enough to make me sick. It is almost as bad as Sam and Emily! And here you are, pining over her, trying to take her from him. Can't you just accept them?"

Jacob clenched his fists, beginning to shake. "_She_ came up to _me_! _She_ started the conversation! You have no right to tell me who I cannot talk to, who I cannot be friends with. Maybe you're the jealous one; did you ever think of that, Leah?" He spat at her, and ran off towards his house. Leah just stood there, gaping after him.

"What was all that about?" Seth asked, his mouth full of hot dog. He swallowed, and looked up at his sister. "Leah?"

"Just shut up, Seth," He shrugged and stuffed another hot dog in his mouth.

"Should someone go see if he's alright?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "Am I mean?" She asked suddenly.

Seth faked choking on his hot dog in shock and began laughing so hard he lost his balance and fell on his back in the sand. Once he regained control over himself, he stood up and wiped away his tears. "I'm sorry, were you being serious?"

Leah stared at him coldly.

"Why do you ask?" he mused, thinking of a way to answer without being beaten to a pulp.

"Every time I talk to Jake, I try to be nice. I really want to be nice. But I just end up making him mad…" She drifted off into a whisper, gazing at her brother worriedly, "I don't want to make him mad, Seth. I was to be his friend."

It was Seth's turn to sigh as he sat back on the ground, patting the earth beside him. Leah sat down miserably. "You like him, don't you." Leah opened her mouth to protest, but then immediately clamped it shut.

"I don't know. I… I have only ever been in love with Sam, and you saw how _that_ turned out. I guess I do like him."

He nodded. "Why don't you just, y'know… ask him to hang out with you or something? Maybe not a date just yet, but try to stay on his good side. Deep down, he likes you too. I know it."

Leah smiled, and then gave him a quick hug. "I cannot believe I just got relationship advice from my baby brother. Thanks though."

"Eww! Cooties!" Seth teased, sticking out his tongue. "I never answered your question, by the way. If you're mean or not," Leah raised her eyebrows, daring him to finish his thought. "Once you get past your hard outer shell, you are just a big teddy bear." They laughed as Leah tackled him playfully. The fireworks ended with the biggest explosion yet, masking the mournful howling of a lone wolf.


	4. Hope

**Well, here it is! Canon characters (everyone except Ellen) still belong to Stephenie Meyer. Grr. What I wouldn't give for a werewolf... I _will_ get around to updating Make a Memory soon. The chapter I'm working on requires a lot of revising and deleting. Not very fun. The next chapter of this one is almost done, though, and then I'm guessing one, maybe two more chapters after that. As usual, please review!**

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Ellen had curled up on the couch in front the television. There was a small pile of used tissues on the floor next to her, and warm blankets covered almost every inch of her body. She shuddered for a minute before a huge sneeze racked her body. Embry walked into the living room, grinning.

"Hey, Elle, you feeling any better?" He bent down to place his hand on her forehead, causing her to groan slightly and reach up to hold his hand there.

"You're so warm," she mumbled, leaning against his warmth.

"I can stay, if you want me to," Embry offered, gently retracting his hand and sitting beside Ellen.

"No, Quil is going to need all the help he can get. Toddlers plus sugar equals trouble. Besides, Leah is coming over soon," before the words were out of her mouth, the doorbell rang once and Leah danced in with a bag of movies.

"Don't worry, Ellen! I brought the perfect Halloween treat: movies and popcorn!" She put the bag down next to the tissues and smiled down at her friend. "You look awful. Have you even made an attempt to brush your hair?"

Ellen just rolled her eyes and pulled the blanket up past her ears.

"Are you sure you want me to go? Seth and Collin are free tonight, and I am sure I can tear Brady away from his computer for a few hours. They would not mind hanging out with a bunch of little kids," Embry asked, tugging on the blanket.

"Just go ahead, Embry. I'll be oh-" she sneezed "-Kay. Have fun, and make sure Quil doesn't end up suffocating Claire trying to hide her from anything scary." Ellen pulled the blanket down to respond and then covered herself with it again. Embry laughed and stood up.

"Well, I guess I will leave you two to your movies. What are you watching, anyways?" He stooped down and reached into the bags, looking at the DVDs. He flipped through them, shooting a glare at Leah when he stopped at one. "_Blood and Chocolate_?" he accused with a hiss. "What are you _thinking_?"

Ellen had pulled the blanket down again at the sound of Embry's reaction. Leah flushed a little bit before shrugging.

"Hey, I like _Blood and Chocolate_. The wolves are gorgeous," Ellen commented with a sigh. Embry pursed his lips, although he had a small smile on his face.

"Alright, have fun, then. My cell will be on. Just give me a call if you need anything. I'll be back before eight," he bent down to kiss her forehead, shot another glare at Leah, and then left. The door closed with a click and Leah watched out the window.

"Okay, he's gone!" Ellen threw back the blankets with Leah's confirmation and jumped off the couch.

"Awesome, girl's night in!" she laughed, eyes sparkling. She grabbed a bag of popcorn and danced into the kitchen, sticking it into the microwave and turning it on. "Make sure the outside light is off, we don't want any trick-or-treaters interrupting the movie," she called back to Leah.

"All set!" Leah called back, joining her in the kitchen. "Emily will be here soon, she had to talk Sam out of staying home, too. Kim is going out to a movie with Jared, so it will just be the three of us for the evening."

The microwave beeped and Ellen grabbed the bag, dropping it when it burned her finger. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, sticking her finger in her mouth with a glare at the popcorn bag. Leah laughed and picked it up, ripping it open and dumping the contents into the bowl on the counter. The doorbell rang, and Leah dropped the bag into the bowl, throwing off the balance and sending the bowl clattering to the floor as she ran off to answer the door excitedly. Ellen sighed and bent down to pick up the little pieces of scattered popcorn.

"Let me guess; Leah got excited and tipped it over." Emily appeared next to Ellen on the floor, assisting in the clean up effort.

"Wow, are you a mind reader or something?" Ellen teased back. The two girls laughed.

"Hey! Is the popcorn ready? We have limited time here, folks. Only two hours of girl time before we return to the rest of the paternally ruled world!" Leah's impatient voice broke through the laughter. Emily and Ellen glanced at each other before they burst out into another fit of laughter and popped another bag of popcorn into the microwave.

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"No! Don't leave her!" Ellen was on her feet, hands in the air, tears pouring down her face. "She didn't do anything wrong, she was trying to protect you!" Aiden had just left Vivian after finding out she was a werewolf, about an hour into _Blood and Chocolate_.

"Jeeze, Elle! What are you going on about?" Leah had reentered after making more popcorn, tossing pieces into the air and catching them in her mouth every time.

"She didn't want to tell him because she loved him, and she was afraid that he wouldn't love her if he found out. She didn't want him to be afraid of her. And he is, but he shouldn't be! She's the kindest one of them, the one that can control her phasing the most," she slumped back into the couch dismally, not noticing the worried look Leah and Emily shared.

"Do you always get caught up in movies like this?" Emily inquired nervously.

"No, only some of them. This one just makes me plain miserable in some parts."

Leah coughed, trying not very hard to mask her, "Loser," comment. Ellen heard and she huffed defensively, picking up the nearly full bowl of popcorn and chucking them one by one at her friend. The girls began to laugh as a full out popcorn-pillow war erupted, only to be interrupted by the doorbell.

"I thought you turned off the outside light, Leah!" Ellen indicted, standing to answer the door, the movie long since forgotten. As she opened the door, she gasped. "Jacob? What are you doing here?"

"I, um... is that popcorn?" He asked, brushing past her to the living room. Leah's eyes widened and Emily shrunk down in the couch. Jake had just seemed to realize they were there, although he appeared unperturbed. "Oh. Is this a bad time? I was looking for Embry." He reached down and picked up the almost empty popcorn bowl, dumping the rest in his mouth.

Ellen slapped her forehead. "_Why_ would he be here on Halloween? You know he was going out to help Quil take Claire's friends trick-or-treating. And would you mind not eating all of our popcorn?" She snatched the bowl away, setting it on the side table. Emily stood up, hitting the stop button on the remote."Well, I guess I had better get going. Sam won't like it if he gets home and I am not there. I'll see you guys later," she hurried from the house, casting a worried glance to Ellen on her way out.

Leah stood, meaning to follow Emily. "Hang on a sec, Leah." Jacob said. She stopped, taking a deep breath. She really did not want to talk to him right now.

"Yes?" she asked, irritably.

"I was, well, thinking-"

"There's a surprise." Leah retorted, cutting him off.

Jacob narrowed his eyes dangerously, clenching his fists as Ellen watched anxiously. "I _was _going to say that maybe we could work things out between us so we aren't fighting all the time, but I think I just changed my mind."

Ellen slapped her forehead again. "This is so silly! Can't we just sit down and talk about this? You have no idea how similar you two are, and it is driving me crazy. I can't just sit around and watch you fight all the time!"

Leah's eyes widened even more. "You told him?!" She accused, gaping.

"No, no! I would never do that. I was just trying to help him get back on his feet, and I suggested being more open with people, honest!" Ellen was almost begging, and Leah seemed to buy it.

"Fine. Let's _talk_." She grimaced, sitting down again. Jacob looked at Ellen pleadingly. She rolled her eyes and sat down next to Leah, motioning to the chair near the couch.

"Okay, so it's obvious that both of you have had some – err, relationship problems," Both Leah and Jacob winced noticeably. Ellen trudged on, "Maybe you can help each other through this. Just by, I don't know, being open with each other. I can't force you, but it might turn out better than expected." And she was not expecting anything to go right. She was expecting a complete and total disaster.

Leah crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Jake. "What makes you think our "problems" are even remotely similar?"

"Well, think about it. You loved Sam with all of your heart. Without any notice, he left you for Emily, your cousin and best friend in the whole world. Yet you still get along with Emily. Jacob, you loved Bella so very much, yet she left you for some other guy. From what I've gathered, you two aren't the best of friends, necessarily, but you both still share one thing in common; you care about Bella," she was at the edge of her seat, becoming wrapped up in her logic. "See? You both loved someone, and they left for someone else. You can relate to each other."

Jacob was looking everywhere except at the two other people in the room. "You're right, I guess our situations are kind of the same…" his eyes snapped to Leah, however, when she commented on Ellen's logic. She was staring at him with so many emotions in her eyes that they were unreadable.

Jake nodded, averting his eyes once again. "I guess. But losing Bella was a lot more devastating then your little crush on Sam." Ellen groaned and Leah let out a hiss of breath.

"You get so wrapped up in her that you forget the rest of the world is revolving around you!" Leah was on her feet, shouting at him. "You don't realize that there are so many other people that care about you, some that might even _love_ you!" She clamped her mouth shut and covered it with her hands. A bright flush crept up to her cheeks, but the damage was done. The room was silent for a moment before Leah took a small, shuddering breath and ran outside. Jake and Ellen just stared after her, eyes wide.

"Did she just…?"

Ellen nodded solemnly, still in shock. "She really cares about you, but she's just frustrated that you never seem to take her seriously. And she expresses her frustration through anger." She sighed, falling back into the cushions. "You really shouldn't push her, Jake."

He just blinked. "I… I never would have guessed. She only ever thinks about Sam…"

"I know that this might be asking for a lot, Jake, but maybe you can try to get along with her? It would sure make her happy if you just asked her to a movie as friends. You can even get a whole group together, I don't know. Maybe if you cheer her up, you will cheer yourself up in the process. You don't have to forget Bella, but think; would she actually want you to be this miserable?"

Jacob shook his head, biting his lip. "I don't know if I like her, I mean Leah, that way. I'm not sure if I can ever love someone like that again." Ellen looked at him morosely and then rose to give him a hug, which he gratefully accepted.

"Do me a favor," she whispered in his ear, "Give it a chance; t_ry_ to be happy." She backed away, returning to her seat. "Please?" Jake nodded with a sigh.

"Fine, I'll ask her to the movies. As long as you can convince the rest of the pa- I mean, everyone else to come too." She smiled and nodded.

"Now hurry up and catch up to her. Make sure you apologize, too!"

"Okay, and thanks a lot, Elle. You are a lifesaver. Really."

"Don't mention it. Now shoo!" He grinned and ran out the door. Smiling to herself, Ellen picked up the remote and pressed play, determined to finish the movie.

--

It was almost exactly eight o'clock when Embry walked through the door. Ellen was fast asleep on the couch, the remote slipping precariously out of her fingers. The credits had already finished, and the DVD had looped back to the opening screen. Embry chuckled to himself as he placed the bag of candy on the kitchen counter. He picked up the remote, placing on the table before picking up Ellen to bring her into the room they had shared for the past two weeks. As soon as he picked her up, she snuggled closer to his warm body. "Embry?" She mumbled with her eyes still closed.

"Right here, Elle," he whispered, kissing her nose. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"How was trick-or-treating?"

"Fun, I guess. Not as fun as it would have been if you were there. Claire was Pocahontas."

"That's nice. We had a popcorn fight."

Embry shook with suppressed laughter. "Leah didn't mention that. We met up with her and Jake on our way home. They asked if we wanted to go to the movies tomorrow night. I agreed to go, is that okay?"

She kissed him gently as the reached their bedroom. "Perfect." Embry smiled down at her as he laid her down on the bed, setting himself down carefully next to her. "Hey, Embry?" her voice barely rose above a whisper as she fought to hold onto consciousness.

"Hmm?"

"I love you,"

He beamed, tracing her jaw with a finger. "I love you, too, Ellen. I'm so happy you came to live on La Push." She was asleep by his last word.


	5. Ignorance is Bliss

**This is a short chapter, I know, but I had written a longer one and decided to be evil by breaking it into two chapters with a cliff hanger on the first. Mwahahaha... I'm holding the ransom at _one review_. :K I'm such a meanie.**

**Everything still belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

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Embry and Ellen walked along the beach in the dark, hand in hand, towards the already-huge fire. There was a chill breeze despite the fact that it was late spring - nearly June. It was almost pitch-black, and the forest next to them seemed to make it all the more ominous. As if Ellen was in any danger with Embry there. Psh.

"Is there a weekend where you guys _don't _have a bonfire?" She teased.

"Umm… Let me think… Nope!" Embry joked back, tracing the veins in her hand with his thumb. "Come on, before they start telling the stories,"

"But we've heard them all so many times already…" Ellen whined, smirking. "There are so many better things we can do," she nudged him with her elbow.

"Oh, really?" Before she had time to answer, Embry had smashed his lips against hers, pushing her back to a nearby tree.

It took a moment for her to realize what had happened, and she whimpered softly when she did. His tongue lightly grazed her top lip, and she opened her mouth, tasting his scent blissfully. Embry's hands wrapped around her waist, and he tugged on the hem of her shirt. When his warm fingers touched her skin, Ellen tried to suppress a moan, and he smiled at her response. He intensified the kiss, running his hands up her back and fingering her bra clasp. This time she could not hold back the moan of pleasure at his touch.

Suddenly Ellen froze, her ears twitching. She broke away and asked breathily, "Did… did you hear that?"

Embry, not paying attention, continued his kisses down her neck. "Hear what?"

She put her hand in front of his lips as they returned to kiss hers. "I thought I heard a growl," she whispered, eyes darting around, yet not seeing anything in the darkness.

That got his attention. "What do you mean a growl?" he asked, assuming a protective stance. His eyes narrowed, and he was trembling, ready to phase at a moment's notice.

"I don't know. I think it came from the direction of everyone else. Do you think they will be okay?" Ellen wrapped her arms around his. Her heart was beating furiously and her breath was coming fast and short. There was a movement behind them, and they both wheeled around to stare into the obsidian-black eyes of a russet wolf. It bared its teeth, and it was snarling menacingly. Ellen gasped in surprise.

"Embry, look! It's the wolf I have been telling you about. The one that I saw in the woods, and-"

"Get out of here, Jake," Embry said evenly, ignoring Ellen as he moved her protectively behind her. Jacob growled menacingly in response.

"Embry? What's going on? What does Jake have to do with this?" Ellen asked. Her voice was small and scared when she realized the wolf was not as friendly as it had been before. Embry winced and turned to improvise some sort of explanation.

Jacob saw this as his moment to act and lunged for the pair. Ellen screamed as he flew through the air towards them and Embry pushed her away. She closed her eyes as she met the ground, a jolt of pain running down her arm when she landed on her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, small pieces of fabric were falling around her like snow during a blizzard. She reached out to catch one, almost in a daze, but dropped it as if it were a hot coal with a cry; it was a piece of the shirt Embry had been wearing.

Ellen looked back to where he had been standing a moment before, and instead of a bloody mess, there were two wolves snapping at each other. The new, dark brown one had its ears back, and although it was slightly smaller than the first one, it was still enormous. It stood the closest to her, almost protectively; its huge paws were only about a yard from where she lay. It looked back at her quickly and shook its head towards the fire before turning its attention back to the brawl.

Ellen wasted no time in scrambling to her feet and running back to the rest of the group. She stumbled into view clutching her shoulder with tears running down her dusty cheeks. Leah rushed over to her, guiding her injured friend to an empty spot on a log.

"What happened to you?"

Ellen, however, was a slave to her own thoughts. _What if _Embry_ was that second wolf?_ She thought frantically. He _had_ called the russet colored one Jacob. He was nowhere to be seen either. It made no sense, but it was better than assuming Embry was brutally murdered. Besides, there was less evidence for that. She shook her head, trying to sort out the thoughts.

She raised her head, looking around the fire at the people she had come to think of as her family. Except for Kim and Emily, they were all the same as Jacob and Embry; even Leah. They were tall, muscular, and very warm. She was vaguely aware of Leah shaking her. Sam was looking at her somberly. He nodded his head once, seeming to read her thoughts, and Ellen gasped. "Embry… Everyone… Wolves…" She mumbled, and promptly blacked out.


	6. Nonchalance

**Thank you to Psycho-Sama101 for the review! Here's the next chapter/**

**Stephenie Meyer owns all. :P**

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When Ellen woke up, she was laying in the bed she and Embry shared. Seth was halfway out the door, looking as if someone had died.

"Seth?" He wheeled around, surprised that she was awake, and grinned broadly.

"You're awake!" He exclaimed crossing over to her in a few strides. "Emily had to reset your shoulder; you dislocated it when you fell."

"Where's Embry? Is he okay? Please tell me no one's hurt!" She opened her mouth to say more but Seth put his finger to her lips to stop her. It was as warm as ever.

"Everyone's fine, except Jacob ran off again," Seth voice was bitter, although there was a hint of worry in it. "Embry is just afraid that you do not want to see him ever again. The rest of the pack feels the same way," he trailed off, looking in her eyes worriedly. "You… you aren't scared of me, are you? I mean, now that you know and everything. If you are, I can leave. I don't want to scare you."

Ellen smiled, "It is going to take a little getting used to, knowing that almost everyone I know can turn into a big, fluffy wolf in the blink of an eye. I could never be afraid of my family, though, could I? You never intentionally hurt anyone, to my knowledge. And if you did, please tell me now so that I can run away screaming." He looked at her for a moment before it clicked that she was joking.

"Nah, we never hurt anyone. Except vampires. But that is a whole other story that you do not really need to hear right now. You need to sleep." He gently pushed her back into the bed, and pulled the covers up to her neck. "I'll go tell Embry you aren't mad. He's out in the living room preparing his apology speech." She laughed and reached up to hug him.

"You always were my favorite almost-brother."

"I am your _only_ almost-brother!" He laughed back before turning off the lights and leaving again.

Ellen snuggled against the pillow, about to fall asleep when the bedsprings squeaked and immense heat radiated off the being next to her. With a small smile, she inched towards the source of the heat until warm arms enveloped her.

"I would never be mad at you, Embry," She whispered, leaning into the embrace. He rested his cheek on her head, breathing softly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I couldn't, Sam told me I couldn't. I… I would have if I could have, I swear-" Ellen turned herself around so she was looking at him and pressed her lips to his. He pulled her closer to him with one hand, the other running through her hair. Their lips moved in sync with each other, expressing all of the emotions they had both felt throughout the past few hours and wiping the slate clean. When they finally broke apart, gasping for breath, Embry held her head against his chest.

"Bella… she was in love with a vampire, wasn't she." It was not a question, and he just kissed the top of her head.

"It's hard for him. I don't blame him for wanting to be close to you. Well, I kind of do, but you're just too nice for your own good." He laughed, tousling her hair before continuing. "What he did tonight, though, was way out of line. I didn't imprint, but the fact that you're my girlfriend makes you off limits."

"Imprint? What are you talking about?" Ellen asked, confused. It was a lot of information for one day, but she needed answers.

"Oh, um, right. Well, I guess you needed to find out at some point. Imprinting is like finding your soul mate. Sam and Emily, for example, or Jared and Kim, or Quil and Claire-"

"But Claire is only, what – three?"

"That's just it. Imprinting means you would protect the other person with your life, it isn't necessarily an romantic relationship. And we don't age, which is good for Quil."

He waited for an onset of comments, but none came. Instead, she stiffened. "Elle? You okay?"

"You… don't age?" Ellen asked worriedly. She huddled closer to Embry.

"I can stop, and I will when it's time. I have to stop phasing. Sam is already talking about it. Of course, Jacob would be the next alpha, but he is pretty much incapacitated at the moment. And then the question remains of who would be next…" he trailed off, deep in thought.

"And you don't know who your father is," Ellen responded quietly, comprehension dawning. "So it could be you. Or it might be Quil, too," Embry looked down at her incredulously. She shrugged. "I get bored sometimes, so I started researching everyone's lineage. It is really interesting, actually. Like a huge soap opera. I pick up more than you realize, Embry. I would have figured everything out eventually."

Much to her surprise, he was shaking with suppressed laughter. "What are you laughing about?" She asked, confused.

"You're so perceptive. It's cute."

She scoffed, pushing against his bare chest to back away from him slightly. He gazed down at her sheepishly. "You asked."

Ellen rolled her eyes, pressing her body against his again with a sigh. "You're just a big, fluffy puppy," she teased. He tilted her head up to kiss her again. It was considerably more chaste than their previous kiss, however they were still breathing heavily when they broke.

"I love you, Ellen," he whispered into her ear.

She smiled, and replied breathily, "Love you more, Embry."

"Now you can go to sleep."

"Do I have to?" Ellen giggled. She was getting drowsy, though, especially with the added warmth. "We do have unfinished business to tend to."

"We'll get to that part later. But you need to sleep, now. Don't you make me sing to you!"

She smiled again, and pretended to snore loudly. The pretend snores soon became soft, real ones as Embry continued to stroke her hair and hum a lullaby from his childhood.


	7. Mitigation

_Long time no update, right? Well, here's the last chapter :( I think I'm going to write an epilogue, but that's probably it. I don't want to drag it out too long._

_I took down 'Make a Memory'. I'm going to work on that a bit, probably rewrite a lot of it, and eventually but it back up again. I'll work on some one-shots so you aren't completely bereft of updates, don't worry!_

_I own a laptop and a website. That's it ;)_

--

**--A Week Later--**

The setting sun sent light filtering through the dense leaves of the forest, protecting abstract patterns all over the ground that Ellen was carefully navigating. It was, of course, no use; she tripped over hidden roots, ladybugs, and air more than she actually walked… or at least it seemed that bad.

"Shoot, now I'll never be able to find that stupid – oh!" Ellen tripped again, only this time, she tripped right out of the deep green forest. The infamous diving cliff stood placidly before her, inviting her to sketch the sunset with the view it presented. "Yes!"

She excitedly whipped her sketchpad and a new package of colored pencils from her backpack and sunk down to the ground with a sigh of content, her feet dangling over the edge of the cliff. Her hand flew across the paper, a faint image of the setting sun appearing soon after. Reds, grays, yellows and oranges took the form of the place Ellen loved so dearly, the place she would call home until the end.

Ellen was just adding the green-gray tones to the waves when she heard the quiet padding of paws on dirt. She carefully placed the pad and pencils on the ground beside her and sighed. "You know, Embry, those dirt bikes are collecting dust in the garage. We should definitely try those tomorrow," she turned, her smile morphing almost instantly into a small 'o'. "You aren't Embry…" She said to the huge russet wolf that stood only a few feet from where she sat. It shook its head in return, sinking to the ground on its stomach and whimpering.

"You aren't going to attack me again, are you, Jake?" She asked hesitantly. He shook his enormous head again, inching closer to her. Ellen put out her hand and patted him on the head. "I'll take your word for it. You know, you didn't have to run away." Jake pressed his wet nose against the sling that kept her left arm as still as possible. "Trust me, this is nothing. You should've seen what happened when I tried going mountain climbing a few years ago!" She laughed, but Jacob was not convinced. He looked up at her with big… well, puppy dog eyes.

"What? Are you looking for forgiveness? Listen, Jake. I am not the one you need to be, err… talking to. Go find Embry." She grabbed her finished sketch, put it and the pencils in her bag again, and stood up, still facing the sunset. "You know, Leah was really hurt when you ran away. You were doing so well, Jake. I thought you were happier." Ellen turned back to Jacob, but gasped and dropped her bag on the ground, hands out in front of her defensively. His teeth we bared, ears laid back, and vicious snarls tore through his chest. "Jake, stay back!" He took a step forward, she took a step back…

Right off the edge.

Ellen screamed, but only lasted a moment. She turned around when her balance shifted and kicked off the cliff, putting some distance between her body and the treacherous rocks. Her arms stretched out in a diving position, and she winced as her left arm came out of the sling. She flew gracefully through the air, wind tearing at her body from every angle, her long hair trailing behind her. As the water came closer, Ellen straightened out her body to try to prevent more injury. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the chill darkness.

She swam to the surface, gasping for air. _Beach, find the beach!_ Her mind was screaming. Ellen turned, desperately trying to locate her destination. _There!_ It was only about a hundred yards away. A wave washed over her, pushing her head under the water, while the undertow sent her towards the open sea a few feet. She resurfaced and took a breath before fighting her way back. _Just like in high school on the swim team…_ She thought, amused.

"Ellen!" _Damnit._

A splash of water made her turn just in time to see Jake's bare feet disappear under the water. She shook her head and resumed her trek back to the beach.

"Ellen! NO!"

"Jake, I'm right here. I can swim." She turned back again to call back to him.

"Wha-? Oh. Duh." He finally saw her and swam up to where she was impatiently treading water.

"No, stay there. Don't come any closer!" Ellen put her hand up to stop him a few feet from her. "Stay that far away." His eyebrows knit together in confusion, but he nodded solemnly. Satisfied, Ellen resumed, yet again, swimming back to shore. It only took a minute, but she kept checking back to make sure Jacob was staying a safe distance away - which he fortunately was.

"Elle, let me explain, I-" Jake began, when they reached the beach. Ellen held up her hand for him to stop, her glare shooting daggers at him.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" She demanded, shaking her head and sending water droplets everywhere. "If I hadn't known how to dive properly, or even _swim_ do you realize what Embry – not to mention everyone else – might have done? You would have been La Push's first-ever castrated werewolf! And after that, no one would be able to tell the difference between you and a bowl of apple sauce! Are you incapable of thinking how your actions affect other people, or do you just not care? Jacob Black, after everything I've done to try and help you get over your little crush on Bella, I think I deserve a little better treatment than being _attacked_!" She folded her arms across her chest, staring coldly at Jake and waiting for an explanation. The phase 'If looks could kill' rang in her ears. Jake merely gazed at his bare feet, wishing that he could dig a hole in the sand and bury himself there, never to be found. "Well?"

"I… don't have a good explanation." He said finally, looking up. "Except this: You remind me so much of Bella. You look like her, you act like her, you even _smell_ like her! I thought you could be mine, and mine alone. And when I saw you at the fire with Embry, I got insanely jealous. I wanted to rip him to pieces, and claim you as my prize. _I_ should be alpha, which, in olden terms, means I should get first dibs on girls. And then you started spending some time with me, and I knew that maybe I still had a chance. Every fiber in me yearned to hold you, to make you mine. And then you tried to hook me up with Leah. I felt like a deflated balloon, but I did what you told me to. Because I knew it would make you happy. The worst part is, I actually started _liking_ Leah, like a girlfriend. But I fought my heart, telling myself that I was only dating her for you." He sighed. "I tried to prove that to myself by stopping Embry from… well, you know. I wanted you all for myself, And I couldn't let you go. I did a lot of thinking this past week. I ran up to Alaska, you know. Right around Juneau. There, I realized that I can't sacrifice my friendship with Embry. I… I'm going to think about my friends, and get on with my life."

"You know, that's all very nice and everything. But what does that have to do with attacking me _today_?" Ellen's glare hadn't softened much at all.

"I originally followed you to apologize. But then Paul phased and knew that I was nearby. Before I could stop him, he alerted Embry and Seth, and they just flipped out at me. You couldn't hear my thoughts, but they weren't exactly child friendly. My facial expressions must have reflected our conversation, judging by your reaction. Embry saw you scared, and told me not to go any closer. Which I obviously resented and did exactly the opposite. And here we are now."

Ellen sighed, frustrated. Her gaze softened, but only slightly. "And he saw me fall, and he's freaking out and on his way here." Jake nodded sheepishly.

"I told him to give me five minutes. Which means he should be here –"

"Now." A venomous voice finished the sentence.

"Embry!" Ellen breathed, dashing over to him. Embry wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, no, I'm fine. A little cold, but I'm fine." He nodded, and then turned his attention to Jacob.

"I can't believe you, Jake." His voice was a quiet, forced calm. "We were happy."

"Embry, wait." Ellen stopped his rant before it started. "It was a mistake."

"What do you mean?"

"He… he came to apologize. And then you were yelling at him and... he didn't mean to scare me." She tugged his collar down so she could whisper into his ear. "I honestly think we can trust him again."

Embry just stared at her. "Are you sure?"

"I don't know. Can I just talk to him for a minute?"

"No! I… What if he looses control? What if he… if he…"

Jake raised his hand. "Um, can I comment?"

"No, you can't." Embry spat.

"Em, please. You can be nearby if you want,"

He took a long, tense moment to think. "Fine. But I'm going to be right over there," he motioned to the trees in the distance. "if you need me. I need to talk to the rest of the pack." With a final kiss for Ellen and a cold glance toward Jacob, he left.

"Thank you." Jake said softly.

"You still aren't off the hook." Ellen replied icily. "Whatever you said to them got Embry really upset."

"No, not Embry. Seth. He… he used to be like, my number one fan. You told me your story, so now I'm going to tell you mine." He gave her a small smile and sat down on the ground. He waited for Ellen to sit down, but she remained standing. With a sigh, he continued. "When Leah and I were, well, not really getting along, Seth started to get really distant. That was right around the time when Bella married that lee- Edward, and became one of them. Almost everyone was deserting me, then. Quil and Embry were the only ones that actually tried to cheer me up. I really did appreciate that, deep down, but didn't realize it at the time. I thought it was annoying." He laughed bitterly. "Boy, was I wrong. When you showed up, I thought you could have been Bella's twin. Or even Bella herself. I didn't realize… I thought you could be her. And you weren't afraid of me, either. I thought I loved you from the start, but I know now that I was just reminiscing. I wished I could love you, as I had loved Bella. You… you and Embry really are happy together. I'm sorry about what I've done. I betrayed my best friend's trust, and I've betrayed your trust. I don't expect you to forgive me for anything I've done, but I just had to apologize."

During Jake's little speech, Ellen had sat down next to him. "It will take a while, but we he will forgive you, eventually. You still are his best friend. And when I'm ready, I'm sure I will too. But I still don't understand what Seth has to do with this."

He blushed slightly under his dark skin. "I was explaining to them why I came back. One of the reasons was Leah. I really do like her a lot, you know. You were right, were are alike, and after we worked out our differences, we actually started to get along. Seth was convinced that I was using her as an excuse to get back to you. I lost all of his trust, too. No one believes me."

A soft hand brushed away a hot tear from his eye. He hadn't realized he had been crying. When he looked up at Ellen, he saw tears in her eyes too.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. Ellen turned her gaze out toward the significantly darkened sky. "I had a brother. He was five years older than me, and he was my best friend and protector. There was an old train bridge by our house that wasn't in use anymore, and sometimes we'd walk across it. I fell off, once, but he caught me and saved me. I was only 13 at the time. He was going off to college that year, and he made me promise to never go on that bridge again. I never had a great relationship with my parents, and after he left I ran away a lot. Just a few years ago, when I was 17, I was gone for an entire week. No one knew where I was, and they called my brother to come and help. It was really rainy that day, and he thought that maybe I was on that bridge." She stopped, choking up. "I was staying in a friend's apartment. I should have called him to tell him I was alright. I should have… I should have done _something_!"

"He fell off the bridge, didn't he," Jacob finished quietly. With a small sob, Ellen nodded.

"No one listened to me then. They thought of me as a murderer. His fiancée wanted my parents to send me away. She was convinced that there was some way she could press charges. No one could have missed as much as I did, though. I hated myself. I wanted to jump off that bridge, just to be with him. I couldn't live with myself. I overdosed on aspirin, my first suicide attempt, no one believed a word I said. Leah kept me sane. She knew the truth. She told me to come here as soon as I could, but my parents wouldn't let me. They sent me to a depression help place for crazy people. That just made me even more depressed. Finally, when I got out of there, I bought a plane ticket to Seattle and came out here. I'm happy, now. My parents decided that no one can help me, know, so they gave up trying to make me go home. But that place isn't home anymore. Here is."

They were silent for a few moments. "You would never think of me as someone with a past like that." Ellen said, smiling humorlessly. "But the gentlest lives have the most violent beginnings. Jake, I'm sorry if I led you on. I was just trying to help, but I realize I may have helped to evoke emotions I didn't mean to. You aren't the only one that should be apologizing."

"You know what? Let's stop feeling sorry for ourselves. Let's start over new… As friends," Jake held out his hand, and Ellen took it with a teary smile.

"Hello, my name is Ellen. My history isn't exactly the greatest, but I've learned to move on with my life. I am currently living with my boyfriend, Embry, on the La Push reservation – a place I like to refer as Heaven on Earth."

"Nice to meet you, Ellen, I'm Jacob Black. I'm a werewolf, and I used to be obsessed with a girl in love with a vampire. However, with some help, I've gotten over her and I'm also moving on with my life. And I think I've finally learned how to enjoy life again."

"It's nice to meet you too, Jake." Embry walked over to them wearing nothing but a pair of cutoff jeans. He put his arm around Ellen's shoulders, facing his friend with a pleased smile. "I know we'll be great friends. Why don't you come meet everyone else? We're having dinner at the Uley's house."

"Yeah, I think food sounds pretty good right about now," Jacob replied. All together, they set off into the darkness.


End file.
